🌞 Hi Devon Fans,

We were going to tell you about the Ilfracombe Birdman competition, a spectacular event which sees home-made flying contraptions and their pilots launch off the town pier.

For years it brought thousands of spectators to watch bold and nutty locals in action. Alas, we’ve discovered that for the second year running it’s been cancelled.

The organisers, all volunteers, blame rising costs, red tape, and weak support from the local authority, which disputes this and says it has always been pro-active and positive.

Not a pretty picture for Ilfracombe or Devon tourism. Let’s hope differences can be resolved for 2025.

A day out to honour and celebrate our armed services

Up to 45,000 people are expected on Plymouth Hoe on Saturday 29th June for a free celebration of the contributions of military personnel past and present.

The annual Armed Forces Day means marches, displays, demonstrations and entertainment including live music and an evening concert.

Visit the Veteran’s Village to support charities helping ex- soldiers, sailors, airmen and women, and see displays from the British Army, Royal Navy, Royal Marines and Royal Air Force.

Around 20 schools are competing in Junior Field Gun tournaments from 10.15am, and the Military Wives Choir, Rock Choir and City of Plymouth Pipe Band will be blasting out tunes.

A free evening concert from 5.30pm to 10.30pm includes Feel Good Factory playing crazy mashups, upbeat swing and punchy ska and Jessica and the Rabbits covering Dusty Springfield, Wilson Pickett, The Beatles and Madness.

The festival where the dogs are in charge

Dog friendly businesses are thriving, so why not a dog friendly music festival?

That’s the idea behind Woofstock, listed as one of the top 10 niche festivals in the UK, combining live music with dog shows, agility displays and doggy merchandise.

On stage you’ll hear tribute acts to Dua Lipa, Elton John and Avril Lavigne, and in the arenas you can watch police and gun dog displays and agility shows.

Specialist talks cover canine first aid, communication and body language, medical detection dogs, and Pets as Therapy.

Weekend tickets: Adult £29.50, child 7-15 £10, family £63.

Friday 14th to Sunday 16th June. Powderham Castle, Exeter EX6 8JQ

A golden celebration of music, surf and lifestyle

It’s the 25th anniversary of the Gold Coast Ocean Fest at Croyde, and the organisers have responded to feedback about long queues for drinks - with more bars!

West country duo The Scribes Boombox take over the stage on Friday with a setlist of beatbox beats and hip hop bangers.

House music fans are getting excited about headliner Jax Jones, one of the UK’s favourite house DJs and king of the summer anthems.

The rest of the lineup is Example, James Bay, Aswad, Charlie Hedges, Black Water Country and Circawaves.

So hopefully it’s more time dancing and enjoying the music fun and less time queueing.

Friday 21st to Sunday 23rd June. Noon to 11pm (9pm Sunday). Many camping and holiday park accommodation options locally.

Weekend tickets: From £104.75

Have a relaxing day out on the scenic South Devon Railway

Jump aboard a world of nostalgia on a heritage steam train that gently meanders alongside the river Dart through glorious scenery.

Enjoy the ride in a beautifully restored carriage, listen to the noises of a coal-fired engine and glimpse the whisps of white steam drifting past your window.

The South Devon Railway is a 7-mile line from Totnes to Buckfastleigh built in 1872, running as a tourist attraction for 50 years.

There are four return trips between Buckfastleigh and Totnes each day throughout the summer and early autumn.

As well a a standard trip you can indulge in ploughman’s lunch, afternoon tea or Sunday lunch trips, a murder mystery experience, or even drive the train yourself.

More information and tickets here. Rail enthusiasts will be interested in the railway’s 15 steam and diesel locomotives.

Free summer Sunday yoga sessions for all

Following in the footsteps of the successful Park Run phenomenon, Park Yoga is a charity providing free yoga sessions.

In Devon, you can turn up on Sundays until 15th September at locations in Torquay, Barnstaple, Bideford, Ilfracombe and 3 locations in Exeter.

All are welcome regardless of age or ability and there is no need to book.

Park Yoga aims to connect people to the natural outdoors through a relaxing, energising and breathtaking yoga session.

Torquay: Spanish Barn, Torre Abbey Meadows TQ2 5JG

Exeter: Heavitree Pleasure Ground, Whipton Lane EX1 2TN; Cowick Barton Playing Fields EX2 9DD; Bullers Field, Haldon Forest Park EX6 7XR

Barnstaple: Rock Park EX32 9AH

Bideford: Victoria Park EX39 2QQ

Ilfracombe: Landmark Theatre, The Promenade EX34 9BZ

Most sessions start at 9.30am but times vary, see the website for details.

Devon Curiosities #8: The Highwayman Inn, Sourton

From the outside it could be the setting for a period drama or a Hobbit film, with it’s weird, twisted architecture and an old stage coach for a porch.

Inside, The Highwayman Inn is like a Tardis with room after room adorned with polished and carved wood, sumptuous furnishings and hundreds of bizarre artifacts and curios.

That’s why it’s been called the most unusual pub in Britain, a surreal gem still a working pub but offering a magical feeling of going back somewhere in time.

The old coaching house and farm has 13th century origins, but visitors are surprised to learn what they see today was a project that began in 1958.

Buster and Rita Jones bought the pub when they moved from Wales and over the next 30 years created something totally unlike your average pub, simply by using their imagination. It is still run by the same family.

A mural outside explains that The Highwayman Inn is named after the road robbers operating in England 250 years ago. They would stop carriages at gun point demanding money and valuables.

Today you willingly hand over your dosh for a drink and meal and to soak up the fascinating atmosphere.

Sourton, near Okehampton EX20 4HN

What else is on

🌊 North Devon 

MAY

Sun 26th

SPORT | 🥊 Superstars of Wrestling | Combe Martin Village Hall EX34 0HR | Tickets £11.55

Fri 31st 

BOAT TRIP | ⛴️ Step aboard the world’s last seagoing paddle steamer | Ilfracombe Pier EX34 9EQ | Adult tickets £49, children £24.50 | Other dates also available

JUNE

Sun 2nd

NATURE | 🚶‍♀️ South West Coast Path Walk | Barnstaple Train Station EX31 2AU | Adult tickets £20, child £10

RECYCLE | ♻️ South Molton Flea Market | South Molton Pannier Market EX36 3AB | Free entry

Thu 6th to Mon 10th

DARTS CONTEST | 🎯 The England Open Festival of Darts 2024 | Ilfracombe Holiday Park EX34 8PF | Tickets from £10

Sun 9th

COMMUNITY | 🥘 The Big Lunch - A street party in the heart of Ilfracombe | Fore Street EX34 9ED

Thu 27th to Sun 30th

ENTERTAINMENT | 🎭 Barnstaple Fringe Theatrefest 2024 | View event locations, times and prices here.

JULY

Sun 7th

GO KARTING | 🏁 Bideford Soapbox Derby | Bideford Pannier Market EX39 2DR | Free

Sat 27th

COUNTRY SHOW | 🐴 Mid Devon Show | Knighthayes, Chettiscombe, Tiverton EX16 7RG | Tickets: adult £18, U15 free

Mon 29th 

COUNTRY SHOW | 🐮 Woolsery Show | Clovelly Court EX39 5SY | Adult tickets £10, U16s £4

🐬 South Devon

MAY

Sat 25th

FESTIVAL | 🎈 Devonshire Balloon and Music Festival | Exeter Racecourse EX6 7XS | Adult tickets £10.84, child £7.59

Sat 25th to Fri 31st

NATURE | 🍃 English Riviera UNESCO Global Geopark Festival | Multiple events across the Geopark | See the events and book here

JUNE

Sat 1st

MUSIC | 🎶 South Devon Big Band performing at Budleigh Salterton | The Public Hall, Station Road EX9 6RJ | Tickets £12.50

Fri 7th to Sun 9th

FAIR | 🪡 Craft Festival | Mill Marsh Park, Bovey Tracey TQ13 9AL | Adult tickets £10, U18s free

Thu 13th to Sun 16th

MUSIC | 🎤 Summer Sessions | Plymouth Hoe PL1 2PJ | Tickets

Thu 20th

MUSIC | 🎶 Bond by Candlelight: Music from the James Bond Movies | Exeter Cathedral EX1 1HS | Tickets starting from £22.38

Sat 22nd and Sun 23rd June

COUNTRY SHOW | 🐮Axe Vale Show | Trafalgar Way, Axminster EX13 5RJ | Tickets: adult £12, child 5-16 £1 | Free parking

JULY

Fri 12th to Sun 14th

ENTERTAINMENT | 🎙️ Tunes on the Sands | Mill Lane, Stoke Flemming, Dartmouth TQ6 0QZ | Tickets from £32

Sun 21st 

CHALLENGE | 🏃‍♀️ Plymouth Pretty Muddy 5K 2024 | Help to raise money for Cancer Research UK | Central Park, Plymouth PL4 6NP | Register here.

Sun 28th

COUNTRY SHOW | 🐷 Totnes and District Show | Great Court Farm, Berry Pomeroy TQ9 6LE | Adult tickets £15, U16s £2.50

🏆️ Win Devon prizes

We find Devon prize competitions so you don’t have to.

Closing dates in brackets. Terms and conditions apply, see individual websites for details.

You could win:

🎠 1 of 3 family days out (2 adults, 2 children) to Devon’s top attractions at any time in 2024 (no closing date given)

🐺 A family ticket for 2 adults and 2 children to see unusual animals at Exmoor Zoo (no date given)

⛺️ A 2-night stay in a Brixham glamping pod. (27th May)

🍓 A luxury afternoon tea for 2 in a Totnes delicatessen (30th May)

🍷 A meal worth £100 at The Point, Exmouth (2nd Jun)

NEW!  🌊 A 3-night Devon coastal stay for up to 4 people, worth £800 (9th Jun)

🐎 A 3-night pitch at an award-winning Dartmoor touring park. (12th Jun)

Got a competition? Let us know

That’s all for this week, except…

With Devon love,

Andy, Esme, Lara and the Go Devon! team